Mitch Marner is grateful that Zach Hyman doesn’t always practise what he preaches.

Before Sunday’s game against the Rangers, Hyman was trying to play down the one-sided NHL stat that had the Maple Leafs near the bottom in the hits category. Some teams have more than twice the number Toronto is credited with. In Montreal on Saturday, it was 49-16 in favour of the Habs, while Sunday in New York, it was 29-14 Rangers.

“The game is so fast now,” Hyman said. “Obviously, you want to finish your hits, but stealing the puck is just as good and we have a lot of guys who can just take the puck away instead of hitting, or just get a stick on the puck. That’s just as good as making contact sometimes.”

Then came Neal Pionk’s hit on Toronto’s leading scorer Marner, too aggressive in Hyman’s initial opinion when he saw his friend down on the ice.

“That’s the kind of teammate he is,” Marner said of Hyman throwing a couple before wrestling the Ranger to the ice. “He stands up for everyone in this room as most of these guys do.”

Earlier this season in a rough game against the Bruins, Hyman took a run at Charlie McAvoy and earned his first NHL suspension. What did coach Mike Babcock think of the usually methodical Hyman getting into a fight?

“As long as he doesn’t hurt his hand, I don’t care,” he said. “It’s important to stand up for one another, but I also want him healthy.”

THERE’S HOPE

The Leafs hope talking out their power-play issues will be just as important as the work they do on the ice and in the video room. Their 0-for-4 night in New York — producing 23 power-play shots of their 56 in total — increased their most recent slump to 1-for-18 as they now sit among the bottom half teams in conversion.

Their fortunes can go two ways from here, but the improved flow on Sunday encouraged most members of the special teams that the drought will soon end. They have four power-play goals since Christmas.

“That’s the best we’ve been, probably the most looks we’ve had all year,” centre John Tavares said of Sunday’s efforts. “It’s good to be in sync. We got a lot of pucks on net, we were retrieving pucks, we were sharp. We just need the end result.”

The best news might have been drawing four minors from the sometimes over-matched Rangers, for only the third time since New Year’s Day. The Leafs aren’t going to get any better without live game situations and if they didn’t play harder to force the whistles to come out, it would be hard to study what exactly is wrong.

“For sure, there were times we weren’t carrying the play as much as we want,” Tavares said. “Sometimes we probably didn’t get the calls, but that’s the ebbs and flow of the season and you only worry about what you can control.”

A couple of players said a candid session Sunday morning that included their input and video from assistant coach Jim Hiller was refreshing.

“When we have the puck, we’re not rushing it, we are holding on to it,” Marner said after Sunday. “Tonight, we were letting their PK do what they wanted to and then we did a good job countering that, getting open and finding guys. It’s something we have to do a lot better job of going forward, but tonight was a step in the right direction.”

TEACHING TRAVIS

Ron Hainsey had a few thoughts on his new assignment, as the stay-at-home partner for young gun Travis Dermott, 15 years his junior.

“There’s lots to like,” Hainsey said. “He’s a real brave player, going back there for pucks (and paying the price). He’s elusive back there avoiding the forecheck. He gets out fast and his communication is really good. It has probably been a year since he’s been up here and he has a great future if he keeps doing that.”

Hainsey also appreciates the presence of Jake Muzzin, who took his place with Morgan Rielly.

“It’s no coincidence since he’s been here that we have points (in five of Toronto’s six games),” Hainsey said. “He’s been great. He adds to the total package, another guy who can add 20 or 25 reliable minutes, who has been through all the different things. Nothing fazes him.” Muzzin also has rivals looking over their shoulder, a presence welcome on the Leafs as playoffs approach.

“A couple of big hits at home got the crowd going,” agreed Hainsey. “That was a great sequence for him. It’s not too often you can add a 29-year-old defenceman who can accomplish what he has (two Stanley Cups). It’s very important for us.”

Hyman is also impressed with how fast Muzzin has acclimatized himself to Toronto.

“You never know how a guy is going to fit in with a locker room when he gets traded,” he said. “He’s fit in seamlessly. He’s a guy who gets along with everybody. And then the stuff he does on the ice is (inspiring).”

WEST WORLD

The Leafs had Monday off before the start of the next phase of this season-long six-game road trip, facing the Avs in Denver on Tuesday, Vegas on Thursday and in Arizona on Saturday afternoon.

“It’s a long road trip so we have to stay focused,” said winger Kasperi Kapanen. “We have had such a good stretch now (prior to the loss in New York) that there’s no point in us getting upset. We have to play the same way and I’ll sure we will have success.

“We are up for it. We played really well in California (sweeping the state a couple of months ago) we’re excited about this.

“It’s a good test for us,” Tavares said. “Everyone is desperate this time of year, there’s a lot to play for and the games are counting down fast.”

ISLAND HOPPING

The booing Tavares heard Sunday at Madison Square Garden is a taste of the mixed reaction to his return to Long Island at the end of this month for his first game against his first NHL team. The Isles are doing much better than anticipated without him and that’s fuel for the fans who felt betrayed when he picked the Leafs as a free agent. The New York media was already getting its Tavares stories ready when he cane through town Sunday.

“It’ll be nice to see a lot of familiar faces and be back in a place that still does mean a lot to me in my career,” a diplomatic Tavares said. “I’ll try and treat it as any other game. Obviously, it won’t be like that, but I’ll be the best prepared I can to play and whatever the reception is, I’ll just concentrate on playing well.”

LOOSE LEAFS

Ivan Irwin, known as Ivan The Terrible for his physical brand of hockey with the post-war Rangers and Montreal Canadiens, passed away Monday at age 91. Born in Chicago, but raised in Toronto, he became an active member of the city’s Original Six Alumni … Paul Hendrick, who filled in for Leafs Nation Network colleague Joe Bowen on Sunday in New York when the latter developed laryngitis, last did play-by-play in 1998 at a Yates Cup Canadian University football match. “I found out in the morning,” said Hendrick, who usually hosts TV spots and is the LNN field reporter. “It took a few minutes but I got the cadence down again. (Analyst) Jim Ralph helped me a lot.”

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